Sharks! Several Great Whites Spotted Off Atlantic And Pacific Beaches

We've still got more than a month to go to Discovery Channel's 'Shark Week', but why wait? Great white sharks have been seen off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Over the past few days, shark "spotters" reported great white sharks close to the town of Chatham, according to Cape Cod Shark Hunters. One shark was close to Chatham harbor but didn't swim inside.

Swimmers are being advised to be cautious. In 2010 and 2011, Chatham closed its beaches because sharks had gotten within 100 yards of the shore, says WPRI.

It's eerie when thinking of Peter Benchley's gripping drama, "Jaws", which is about a killer great white shark off Long Island, New York (although the film was shot in Massachusetts) around the Fourth of July.

But why should Massachusetts have all the excitement? A great white shark was seen yesterday off La Jolla, Calif, just north of San Diego, and this one was a lot closer to land.

KGTV reports a lifeguard and several other people glimpsed the shark about 50 yards off the beach, just past the surfline. La Jolla closed its beach to swimmers until officials could check the water. The beach was reopened this morning.

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